Are you a recent graduate who’s looking forward to life sans problem sets and papers? Or maybe you’re well into your career already, and you enjoy how your evenings and/or weekends are, for the most part, yours. Well guess what—some additional time in the classroom might be more beneficial than you realize, especially for your career.

Before you begin calculating the costs of additional education, I’m not suggesting you pursue a MBA program or even formal online courses—those are specialized routes to develop specific skills and knowledge. I’m speaking much more broadly! It’s easy to lose yourself in your day-to-day work responsibilities and neglect the bigger picture. But taking a couple hours a week to educate yourself about your industry can pay dividends later on. Glance through industry publications to see what the latest trends are. Bounce ideas off more experienced coworkers. If your company offers optional classes about industry subjects, sign up! Fisher Investments, for example, offers a variety of educational workshops, from presentations on basic capital market topics to more advanced skill development, like business writing.

Adding supplemental knowledge and experience—at your own initiative, and in addition to your regular responsibilities—makes you a much more attractive candidate for the next position/promotion in your career.

It’s the night before your big job interview. You’ve glanced over your resume for the umpteenth time, you can recite the company’s mission statement and your clothes are fresh from the drycleaners. You’re ready! But before you tuck yourself in for a good night’s sleep, don’t forget to check one more thing: the weather report.

Inclement winter weather has covered headlines recently, to the point that some are speculating about its impact on the economy. Macro impact aside, bad weather affects you on a day-to-day basis, especially with transportation. Considering you’ve got enough on your plate trying to ace your interview, being caught off guard by a storm adds unnecessary stress. You may not be able to avoid that impending blizzard or downpour, but you can take steps to ensure that Mother Nature doesn’t rain on your (figurative) parade. Leave home early in anticipation of delays; put on weather-appropriate clothing so your interview suit isn’t ruined; double bag important documents like resumes so they remain protected from the elements. Doing your prep work will allow you to focus all your energy on wowing your potential employer!

When preparing for post-college life several years ago, I attended a recruitment prep speaker panel. One of the speakers brought up an interesting topic: How do you answer the question, “What is your biggest weakness?” In his opinion, this was one of the worst questions an interviewer could ask you—either you get a bogus, self-serving answer (e.g. “I tend to be a perfectionist) or, worse, the question causes a fumbling, bumbling response that doesn’t tell you much at all. His advice: Answer it however you want because it doesn’t matter.

While I understand where the speaker was coming from, I also believe there’s value in self-reflection. (No, you’re not the perfect candidate for every job you apply to, no matter what your mother tells you.) Wouldn’t it be better for you to identify personal areas that could be stronger now instead of thinking about it for the first time during an interview? And remember that for an interviewer, every question has a purpose, and how you answer (and the rationale you provide) may be even more important than the actual response you give.